The Augmentalist

The Augmentalist is a system that allows a musician to augment their existing musical instrument using a variety of sensors. This system is focused on the musician and their musical aims, rather than the sensor technology being used. The overall goal is to allow musicians to easily explore new musical performance techniques with augmented musical instruments.

The Augmentalist system makes use of Phidgets sensors and hardware to allow musicians to augment their musical instruments. By adding sensors to their instruments they can sense performance gestures and use these gestures to control audio effects and/or create new sounds. This opens up new areas of performance technique and allows us to examine issues such as musicians as designers, the potential for exploration and mastery and the transferability of instruments between performers.